Original Articles
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2025): Review Articles, Original Article, Scientific Letter, Case Reports Letter to the Editor
COULD PLASMA GLUCOSE (PG) INCREMENT (PG %) EXPAND THE CLINICAL WEIGHT OF OGTT? PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN 19 TDT PATIENTS (Β-TDT) WITH NORMAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE
Plasma glucose (PG) increment (PG %) and pancretic β-cell dysfunction in thalassemia
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: March 9, 2025
Accepted: May 19, 2025
Accepted: May 19, 2025
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Abstract. Background: Worldwide, glucose dysregulation (GD) and diabetes mellitus are common complications in transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (β-TDT) patients. Impaired insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion are both involved in the deterioration of glucose tolerance from normal to a glucose-intolerant state.
Objective: The main aim of the present study was to evaluate retrospectively the plasma glucose (PG) increment (PG %) at 2-h during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) over fasting plasma (FPG) concentration as a simple parameter to recognize early β -cell dysfunction in normoglycemic β-TDT patients with NGT and different severity of IOL.
Patients and Methods: A total of 19 β-TDT young adult patients with normal OGTT were re-evaluated. OGTT was performed according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline and 30', 60' and 120' minutes to determine PG (mg/dL) and insulin concentrations (μIU/mL). The time required for the PG concentration to return to the fasting level was made by computing the percentage increment of 2-h PG in respect to FPG (PG%), using the formula [(2-h PG-FPG)/FPG]x 100. The early phase of insulin secretion (IGI) and sensitivity were assessed by validated surrogate indices calculated from parameters obtained during the four point OGTT.
Results: The mean age of patients was 30.3 ± 5.7 (range:23.10-44.3). The mean ± SD, median and range of PG% increment, between 2 h-PG and FPG, was 35.5 ± 20.2 , 38.7 and 0 - 68.2, respectively. The PG% increment was negatively correlated to patient's age, FPG and IGI, and positively correlated with 2-h PG post-glucose load. IGI was negatively correlated with 1-h and 2-h PG after post-glucose load and positively correlated with oral disposition index (oDI).
Conclusions: In conclusion the PG% is a simple useful screening parameter that can expand the clinical weight of OGTT and can provide valuable metabolic information on β-cell dysfunction.
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How to Cite
“COULD PLASMA GLUCOSE (PG) INCREMENT (PG %) EXPAND THE CLINICAL WEIGHT OF OGTT? PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN 19 TDT PATIENTS (Β-TDT) WITH NORMAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE: Plasma glucose (PG) increment (PG %) and pancretic β-cell dysfunction in thalassemia ” (2025) Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases, 17(1), p. e2025050. doi:10.4084/MJHID.2025.050.
Copyright (c) 2025 Vincenzo De Sanctis, Ashraf Soliman, Shahina Daar, Ploutarchos Tzoulis, Christos Kattamis
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
